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Stop the violent protests: El Masri

Rugby league ambassador and prominent Muslim Hazem El Masri has called for an end to violent protests incited by an anti-Islamic film aired on the internet.

El Masri called on Muslim demonstrators instead to follow the peaceful example of their own prophet.

"They've got to ask themselves if their prophet was alive today would he behave the same the way. And I'm sure they would tell you the answer is no," he said at the Sydney premier of Fordson, a US documentary about sport's ability to break down social barriers.

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"You've just got to make supplication to God and hope God can guide them on the right path."

El Masri, a former Australian and NSW representative who helped the Bulldogs win the 2004 premiership, remains the NRL's highest points scorer.

As a Lebanese Muslim who played for the Bulldogs, he said he had probably suffered more than any other player in over a century of rugby league, receiving media scrutiny and questioning over events including September 11, the Bali bombings, the Cronulla riots, controversial comments from Muslim sheiks and the recent violent protests over the film Innocence Of Muslims.

"The Bulldogs had a lot of obstacles to overcome and at the same time the Lebanese and Muslim community went through a lot of those," he said.

"I had to be the middle man trying to juggle both at the same time while I was playing footy."

El Masri described Islam as a beautiful, gentle religion, and said of violent protesters: "Let's not isolate these young men but let's help them. So instead of them being destructive let's help them be constructive."